1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to an air inlet assembly for an automotive vehicle heating and ventilating air conditioning (HVAC) system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditional air inlet assemblies used in heating and ventilating air conditioning (HVAC) systems include a housing that defines a plurality of inlets for receiving air and a circular outlet for delivering air from the inlets to a cabin compartment (not shown) of a vehicle (not shown). A fan is typically disposed near the outlet for expelling air from the housing.
An end-torque valve is traditionally disposed between the inlets and upstream from the outlet. The end-torque valve generally pivots between various positions for controlling air from the inlets to the outlet, as shown in FIG. 1. Specifically, the end-torque valve generally seals airflow from a cabin-air inlet and delivers outside air from an outside-air inlet to the cabin through the outlet while in an open-air position. Similarly, the end-torque valve generally seals airflow from the outside-air inlet and delivers cabin air from the cabin-air inlet to the cabin through the outlet while in a cabin-air position. A driver of the vehicle typically selects the position of the end-torque valve to obtain the desired airflow into the vehicle cabin.
Traditionally, a separate rectangular filter for filtering the air covers the circular outlet and is disposed downstream from the inlets and the valve mechanism. Current air inlet assemblies require the rectangular filter to be disposed at least one inch from the fan in order to properly deliver air to the vehicle cabin. The required minimum distance limits reducing the size of the air inlet filter. Additionally, air flow is generally concentrated at the area of the rectangular filter located near the circular outlet. Accordingly, the corner portions of the rectangular filter receive little airflow and the rectangular filter is not utilized efficiently. Furthermore, the traditional end-torque valve limits reducing the overall package of the air inlet assembly.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a low profile design to reduce overall packaging while optimally filter airflow to the vehicle cabin.